WAIMEA BAY, Oahu/Hawaii (Wednesday, February 10, 2016) - Event Officials have called the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau off today after the projected swell failed to materialize. The window for The Eddie -- a World Surf League (WSL) Specialty event -- remains open until February 29.
"Unfortunately, the Bay is not going to call the day today. The surf is not what we expected," Glen Moncata, Quiksilver Event Director, said. "What we need is need eight hours of solid 20 foot surf, 40 foot faces, and unfortunately this storm got pushed way up North of us, so we are just not going to be able to run today."
Requiring surf of 35-to-45 feet (on the wave face) to be called on, the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau has only run eight times in the event's 31-year history. With a very active El Nino swell season on offer, the potential for the event to run before February 29 remains high.
"As a competitor, it's frustrating to get mentally and physically prepared to surf The Eddie and then be disappointed when it is called off," said Peter Mel. "While it's not a WSL Big Wave Tour (BWT) event, as Commissioner of that tour, I understand how challenging it can be to make those calls. Ultimately, The Bay calls the day for The Eddie and I respect the decision of Quiksilver Officials to call the event off due to lack of surf."
The event's namesake, Eddie Aikau, was the first lifeguard on Oahu's famed North Shore. A true ambassador of Aloha, Aikau was tragically lost at sea in 1978 while attempting to rescue crewmates aboard the Hokule'a, a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe that capsized in rough seas en route to Tahiti. The famed big wave event was created in his honor in 1984.
The window for the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau closes on February 29, 2016.
For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com.